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Poe and The Fall of the House of Usher“The Fall of the House of Usher” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1839. Poe is considered a master of Gothic fiction, which centers on dark and terrifying stories. Poe focuses on psychological terror, as his characters often show madness.

Below is a passage from the opening of “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The narrator has just arrived at the home of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher. It is a description of the Usher’s house. A tarn is a mountain lake.

Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building. Its principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity. The discoloration of ages had been great. Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from

the eaves. Yet all this was apart from any extraordinary dilapidation. No portion of the masonry had fallen; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual stones. In this there was much that reminded me of the specious totality of old wood-work which has rotted for long years in some neglected vault, with no disturbance from the breath of the external air. Beyond this indication of extensive decay, however, the fabric gave little token of instability. Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn.

Part I

Using the context of each word or a dictionary, write what you think the underlined word means.

1. Yet all this was apart from any extraordinary dilapidation

______________________________________________2. ...there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual stones

______________________________________________3. reminded me of the specious totality of old wood-work

______________________________________________4. Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer

______________________________________________5. discovered a barely perceptible fissure

______________________________________________

Part II

1. Write an example of personification in the passage.

2. Write a metaphor from the passage.

3. Write an alliteration from the passage.

What’s on the ACT Reading Test? There are four reading passages of about 800 words each, always in this order:

1. prose fiction 2. social science 3. humanities 4. natural science

After each passage, you’ll answer 10 questions that test you on what was directly stated as well as what meanings were implied in the text.

What it is What you can expect

Prose Fiction

Excerpts from novels or short stories Most passages are contemporary, emphasize diversity, and often center on family relationships.

• Setting, atmosphere, and the relationships between characters are more important than facts

• Questions likely to involve identifying the implied meanings vs. what was directly stated

Social Science

Topics: anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology

• Organization flows logically with clear topic sentences and well-chosen transitions to develop the main idea

• Author may have a point of view on the subject or may simply deliver informative facts in a neutral tone

Humanities

Nonfiction passages—usually memoirs or personal essays Topics: architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary criticism, music, philosophy, radio, television, and theater

• Narrative may use a more organic development instead of a linear one

• Tone will be more personal and perhaps more emotional

Natural Science

Topics: anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, natural history, physiology, physics, technology, and zoology

• Lots of details and sometimes very technical descriptions

• Linear organization with clear topic sentences and transitions to develop the main idea

• Author may or may not have an opinion on the topic

• Questions usually track the text pretty closely and require you to make few inferences

How to Tackle the ACT Reading Test Now that you know what to expect, here are six ACT reading strategies that will help you approach any passage:

1. Choose Your Own Adventure On the ACT Reading Test, you only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. To earn your best possible reading score, you have to invest your time where it will do the most good. Always choose your own order, working first the passages that are easiest for you and leaving for last the most difficult. Learn more ACT strategies for working questions out of order.

2. Get Plenty of Practice The best way to determine which categories you tend to ace is through repeated practice tests. Do you consistently do the best on social science? What types of questions do you find easy or difficult? Try some ACT reading practiceor take a full-length ACT practice test.

3. Read the Questions First Reading actively means knowing in advance what you’re going to read. So, before you start in on the passage, take a look at the questions. You’ll know what important details to look for, and you won’t waste time on details that never appear in a question.

4. Keep Moving If you read something you don’t understand, do not reread it. Just keep going, and worry about it later only if you have to. Learn more about finding the right ACT pacing for you.

LEVEL IV, UNIT 114 © EMC Publishing, LLCExceeding the Standards: Grammar & Style

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________

LESSON 5

Common, Proper, Singular, and Plural NounsA noun is a part of speech that names a person, place, idea, or thing. In this lesson, you’ll learn about the different kinds of nouns and what they name.

examplespeople Stephan, editor, aunt, actorplaces homeland, Wrigley Field, St. Peter’s Basilicaideas prejudice, subtraction, boredom, plot, Romanticismthings volleyball, song, trajectory, candle, Liberty Bell

Type of Noun Definition Examples

common noun names a person, place, idea, or thing mother, garage, plan, flower

proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing; begins with capital letter

John Adams; Washington DC; Monroe Doctrine

concrete noun names a thing that can be touched, seen, heard, smelled, or tasted

ruler, mirror, giggle, speech, banana

abstract noun names an idea, a theory, a concept, or a feeling

approval, philosophy, Marxism, faith

singular noun names one person, place, idea, or thing governor, tree, thought, shoe

plural noun names more than one thing governors, trees, thoughts, shoes

possessive noun shows ownership or possession of things or qualities

Roger’s, Mrs. Pan’s, women’s, mass’s

compound noun made up of two or more words staircase, picnic table, brother-in-law

collective noun names groups staff, platoon, team

Common and Proper Nouns

The two basic kinds of nouns are common nouns and proper nouns. A common noun names any person, place, thing, or idea. Common nouns are usually not capitalized.

examplescommon nounsany person A guide will give us a tour of the museum.any place The park was crowded with holiday campers.any thing A key opened the old, rusty lock.any idea Her scheme to take over the company failed.

A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing, and begins with a capital letter.

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15© EMC Publishing, LLC LEVEL IV, UNIT 1Exceeding the Standards: Grammar & Style

examplescommon nouns reporter, bridge, stateproper nouns Sarah Smith, Golden Gate Bridge, Michigan

E X E R C I S E 1

Identifying Common and Proper Nouns in Literature

Identify the underlined nouns in the passage below as either common or proper. Write common or proper above each noun.

Lili did not reply. Old Mrs. Pan had unknowingly touched upon a wound in her

heart. No man had ever asked her to marry him. Yet above all else she would like

to be married and to have children. She was a good social worker, and the head

of the Children’s Bureau sometimes told her that he would not know what to do

without her and she must never leave them, for then there would be no one to

serve the people in Chinatown.from “The Good Deed,” page 88

Pearl S. Buck

E X E R C I S E 2

Understanding Common and Proper Nouns

For each common noun listed, write two proper nouns.

exampleauthor (Edgar Allan Poe, Judith Ortiz Cofer)

1. journal

2. ballplayer

3. region

4. county

5. movie

6. family

7. fictional character

8. ocean

9. island

10. poet

E X E R C I S E 3

Using Common and Proper Nouns in Your Writing

Write a paragraph to a pen pal, describing a place you would like to visit. Include some specific sites that interest you. Underline and label five common nouns and five proper nouns in your description. Notice how the use of proper nouns helps to make your description more specific. Use your own sheet of paper for this exercise.

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LEVEL IV, UNIT 116 © EMC Publishing, LLCExceeding the Standards: Grammar & Style

Singular and Plural Nouns

Nouns that represent one person, place, idea, or thing are called singular nouns. Nouns that represent more than one person, place, idea, or thing are called plural nouns. Most nouns can be made plural simply by adding -s to the end of the word. The spelling of some nouns changes slightly when the words are made plural, depending on how the word ends. Some nouns, such as rice and moose, have the same spelling in both the singular and the plural forms.

examplesplural nounsFor most nouns, to form the plural add –s to the end of the word.camel → camels path → paths tray → trays

If a noun ends in s, sh, ch, x, or z, add –es.lass → lasses tax → taxes scratch → scratchessash → sashes blitz → blitzes

If a noun ends in o preceded by a consonant, add –es.tornado → tornadoes portico → porticoes

If a noun ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add –es.fairy → fairies penny → pennies

For some nouns that end in f or fe, change the f to v and add –es or –s.elf → elves life → lives

E X E R C I S E 4

Identifying Singular and Plural Nouns in Literature

Underline the nouns in the following passage. Write above each noun whether it is singular or plural.

She longed to see the bright persimmon dotting the barren trees beside the

thatched roofs, to see the fields of golden rice stretching to the mountains where

only last fall she had gathered plump white mushrooms, and to see once more

the maple trees lacing their flaming colors through the green pine.

from “Tears of Autumn,” page 99Yoshiko Uchida

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17© EMC Publishing, LLC LEVEL IV, UNIT 1Exceeding the Standards: Grammar & Style

E X E R C I S E 5

Correcting Singular and Plural Nouns

For each singular noun in items 1–10, write the correct plural form. In items 11–20, correct any error in the plural nouns listed. Write correct if the plural form is correct. You may need to use a dictionary to check your answers.

1. player

2. bush

3. tomato

4. echo

5. fairy

6. pharmacy

7. leaf

8. wife

9. wolf

10. noose

11. sopranoes

12. platitudes

13. reef

14. canarys

15. shelfs

16. partys

17. sheep

18. mooses

E X E R C I S E 6

Using Singular and Plural Nouns in Your Writing

Write a paragraph about the first day of summer vacation. Use at least five singular and five plural nouns.

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Name ___________________________________________

Inclement Weather Math Packet #5

DO YOUR FIGURING HERE

1.

2.

3.

DO YOUR FIGURING HERE

4.

5.

6.

7.

DO YOUR FIGURING HERE

8.

9.

10.

11.

viruses • public health

THE ZIKA VIRUS EMERGES (1) What is the Zika virus (ZIKV), what does it do and how fearful should we be of it? Though you might only have heard of the Zika virus recently, it has been known by scientists for almost 70 years. It was first discovered and isolated in Uganda in a forest called the Zika Forest. This virus comes from the genus of viruses called flaviviruses which includes related viruses like the West Nile virus, yellow fever virus and dengue (fever) virus. All of these viruses are arboviruses which means that they are transmitted from person to person by arthropod vectors. In terms of disease, a vector is anything that can carry and transmit an infectious agent from one host to the next. An arthropod is any invertebrate which has an exoskeleton and a segmented body. In the case of the Zika virus, its preferred arthropod vector is the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Since the Zika virus can be found in the blood of infected humans, mosquitos can pick up this virus and spread it to uninfected humans.

(2) Until recently, Zika has been isolated to the equatorial regions of Africa and Asia where it causes symptoms that are referred to as Zika fever, which resemble a very mild case of dengue fever. These symptoms include a fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Sometimes headaches and muscle pain are also present. The symptoms begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito but the symptoms are not severe and last only a few days to a week. Rest and fluids usually help a person recover fully. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) can be used for the pain. However, since only 1 in 5 infected people ever develop symptoms, most people don't know they've been infected and Zika hasn't been widely reported in the media until recently.

(3) In 2014, Zika began spreading eastward across the Pacific Ocean where it reached French Polynesia and then jumped over to Easter Island. Zika then spread to Central and South America and the Caribbean in 2015. Zika infected mosquitos did not make it across the ocean, but people infected with Zika did. Local mosquitoes in Zika free zones who bit infected humans would pick up the virus and begin to spread it among the previously uninfected human population, thus beginning a new chain of disease transmission. With ever

Aedes aegypti mosquito with its characteristic white banded legs.

increasing international travel, the threat of a Zika pandemic (an infection that becomes widespread over large regions and even multiple continents) is of great concern.

(4) The current alarm that has arisen over Zika is not due to the Zika fever symptoms, it is due to the increasing evidence that pregnant women infected with Zika may give birth to children with microcephaly. Microcephaly is a neurodevelopmental birth defect. This means that it involves a disorder that affects the development of the brain. "Micro" is the Latin prefix that means small and "cephaly" comes from the Greek word for head or brain. Most

A baby with microcephaly (left), compared to a baby with a normal head size (right).

babies born with microcephaly are either born with a noticeably small head or a normal one. However, for those born with normal heads, they soon show outward signs of microcephaly when their faces and body grow larger but their skulls do not. This causes the characteristic shrunken head appearance of people with microcephaly. Not only are the heads smaller, the brains within them are also smaller which results in severe intellectual and motor impairment. Some children might also have seizures and life expectancy is reduced.

(5) Microcephaly can be caused by many factors, but an alarming number of cases of microcephaly have shown up in places like

Cl Tangstar Science

viruses • public health

THE ZIKA VIRUS EMERGES

Brazil where there were 2782 cases of microcephaly reported in 2015 while there were less than two hundred reported cases in each of the two previous years. The rise in microcephaly seems to follow the 2015 outbreak of Zika in Brazil that led to increasing numbers of pregnant women being infected. It will remain to be seen how the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil affects the international spread of Zika.

(6) Many countries infected with Zika have warned women to postpone getting pregnant until the outbreak of the virus can be contained. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the United States along with many other countries have issued

Article Questions

travel warnings advising pregnant women against traveling to Brazil and other infected areas. Effective vaccines currently exist for some flaviviruses, like the yellow fever virus, and now scientists are intensely focusing on developing a vaccine for Zika as well.

(7) Currently, few Europeans and North Americans report Zika infections because the type of mosquitoes that carry Zika are not found where they live. However, there might be evidence that once a person is infected, they may be able to transmit the virus through sexual intercourse. The evidence for this is currently supported by only a few cases, but as more research is done, sexually transmitted Zika may become confirmed.

1) Zika is a type of arbovirus. What is an arbovirus?

2) List some of the symptoms of Zika fever.

3) What is the treatment for Zika fever?

4) What is microcephaly and what are some of the symptoms of microcephaly?

5) Why should health officials around the world be worried about the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil?

6) Why has the Zika virus not made much of an impact in Europe and North America thus far?

7) Why have pregnant women specifically been warned to stay way from countries currently experiencing a Zika outbreak?

8) What are two potential ways that a human can contract the Zika virus?

(0 Tangstar Science